According to company insiders, the heads of VW, BMW and Daimler have agreed on a common approach towards electric mobility during a telephone conversation following Volkswagen’s recent demands. The trio are apparently in agreement that the future belongs to battery electric mobility.

The Chinese real estate group Evergrande Group announced that it intends to start production of its first electric vehicles in June. The company will use production technologies from Saab and Koenigsegg.

Hyundai and Kia are investing $300 million in mobility service provider, Ola. The strategic partnership includes the production of electric vehicles tailored to the Indian market, the establishment of charging infrastructure and the development of fleet and mobility solutions.

Daimler Trucks has opened a new product and design centre at the Kawasaki plant of its Japanese commercial vehicle subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation (MFTBC). A main focus of the new centre will be the specific challenges facing electric trucks and their ecosystems, including charging.

Proton Power Systems has signed a letter of intent with Skoda Electric a.s. in the Czech Republic, as the partners aim to jointly develop, sell and service fuel cell electric buses using Proton’s modular ‘HyRange’ systems.

The Canadian manufacturer Lion Electric, known for its electric school buses, is now starting the expansion of its range of commercial electric vehicles with the launch of its first electric truck in the US vehicle category of Class 8.

Energy supplier Fortum and U.S. American specialist Momentum Dynamics are to set up a wireless fast-charging infrastructure for taxis in Oslo. By 2023 all taxis in the Norwegian capital must be electrically powered.

Ionity has provided an update on the establishment of its high-power charger network in Europe: it is on schedule and currently has 63 sites with an average of six charging points in operation in nine European countries, with a further 52 sites under construction.

BP Chargemaster and its network arm Polar have opened what they claim to be Britain’s biggest rapid-charge hub in Milton Keynes. Up to eight electric vehicles can charge with up to 50 kW at the multi-standard stations. The set-up uses existing facilities.

Daimler is cooperating with NewMotion to offer commercial customers tailor-made solutions for all charging requirements from a single source. The offer ranges from consulting to installation and operation of the charging points.

Japanese technology group Asahi Kasei is responding to the booming global demand on the battery market with an investment of the equivalent of 238 million euros to expand its production of lithium-ion battery separators.

The VW Group and Northvolt want to advance battery cell production in Europe together and are forming a consortium called the European Battery Union (EBU) for this purpose with partners from research and industry from seven EU member states.

Shortly after the start of construction of SK Innovation’s second battery cell factory in Hungary, the official ground-breaking ceremony for the South Korean manufacturer’s first US plant in the state of Georgia took place.

The City of Basel has been given the green light by the Grand Council to purchase electric refuse collection vehicles and the associated charging infrastructure. The civil engineering office intends to procure the new electric trucks in two tranches, with the delivery of the first nine vehicles scheduled for 2021.

Deutsche Post/DHL classified 460 units of their StreetScooter vehicles as potentially at risk of fire and withdrew them from circulation until further notice. These electric transporters will not be put back on the road until they have been inspected.

Announced in autumn, the first self-driving electric shuttle called Gacha, which has been made for all weather conditions, has now been presented in Helsinki. The electric shuttle will be available to the general public in pilot projects as of April this year in the Finnish city of Espoo and will also be available in Hämeenlinna, […]

With its new budget, the Canadian government is also announcing subsidies to promote the growth of electric vehicles in the country. Over the next three years, 300 million dollars are to be made available for purchase premiums.

The German Ministry for the Environment (BMU) is providing an additional 180 million euros for the purchase of electric buses to select cities exceeding the NOx levels set within the EU. Other towns may also apply for a share of the remaining funds.

For the 2018 announced electric motorcycle racing series MotoE, which will be held starting this year with electric bikes of the Italian manufacturer Energica, further details such as teams, riders, dates and technical data were recently announced.

As part of the Urban Air Mobility project, Airbus has now presented the air taxi CityAirbus in the Audi town of Ingolstadt. The electric aircraft with eight rotors takes off and lands vertically and will be able to transport up to four passengers. The model still has its maiden flight ahead of it.

Volocopter, and Fraport AG – the owner and manager of FRA, Germany’s biggest airport, intend to develop concepts for the ground infrastructure and the operation of electric aerial taxis at airports. The main focus will be on smooth passenger handling and efficient connections to existing traffic infrastructure.

The Norwegian shipping company UECC (United European Car Carriers) has placed orders with China Shipbuilding and Jiangnan Shipyard for two hybrid transport ships for cars (PCTCs). The first is expected to be delivered in 2021.

Scandlines is upgrading to more efficient thrusters on four of its hybrid ferries. These are engine components located at each corner of the ferry. The new thrusters achieve a more homogeneous flow through the water, which causes less noise and vibration.

In Denver, Colorado, police have been driving around in a Tesla Model S for a couple of years before hardy local journalists finally found out where it came from: The car had been confiscated during an illegal marijuana bust.

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